Top 15 Topics in Library Services for 2026

Gretchen GardellaNo CommentsBlog, Liblime

Libraries in 2026 are facing extraordinary challenges and opportunities. From battles over censorship and federal funding to the integration of artificial intelligence into daily operations, the profession is being reshaped from multiple directions. The following fifteen topics represent the most pressing and consequential issues defining library services this year.

 

1. Artificial Intelligence Integration

No topic looms larger in 2026 than artificial intelligence. Generative AI has begun to appear within library-specific software platforms, not just in general-purpose tools like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace [1]. Libraries are actively drafting AI policies to establish guardrails for staff and patrons, and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has published a formal set of AI Competencies for Academic Library Workers to guide that process [1]. A significant operational challenge has also emerged: patrons increasingly arrive seeking AI-hallucinated materials—books, articles, and authors that do not exist—thereby requiring staff trained to verify and redirect these requests [1].

2. Intellectual Freedom and Book Challenges

The organized campaign to remove books from library shelves remains a defining pressure of the era. Data reported to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reveals that 72% of demands to censor books in 2024 originated from pressure groups and government entities—not parents, who accounted for only 16% of challenges [2]. The 120 titles most frequently targeted were all identified on partisan book-rating websites that provide activists with tools to coordinate removal demands [2]. Federal legislation such as H.R. 7661 has drawn condemnation from the ALA, with the association arguing that the bill would give politicians sweeping authority to restrict which stories appear on library shelves [3].

3. IMLS Funding and Federal Advocacy

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the largest federal grantmaker to libraries, faced an existential crisis in 2025–2026 after the Trump administration sought to dismantle it through executive action. Courts blocked the effort, and on April 9, 2026, ALA and AFSCME reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice that protects the agency and ensures its congressionally mandated work continues [4]. Nevertheless, the White House’s proposed FY2027 budget again calls for eliminating IMLS funding [4]. The stakes are high: without IMLS support, libraries in rural areas and Native American communities risk losing critical programs, including broadband access, technology lending, and digital literacy training [5].

4. Digital Equity and the Homework Gap

Public libraries remain a primary frontline institution for addressing digital inequality. According to the Public Library Association’s 2023 Technology Survey, 46.9% of libraries now lend internet hotspots—an increase of 14.4% from 2020—and 95% offer digital literacy training [6]. As federal and state funding faces pressure, the concern is that libraries in underserved communities will be forced to curtail precisely the services most needed to close the digital divide [5].

5. Cybersecurity Threats

Ransomware attacks on library systems have become alarmingly common, with high-profile incidents targeting Seattle Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Michigan’s Orion Township Public Library in recent years [1]. The rise of generative AI has lowered the barrier to creating malware, enabling non-expert actors to conduct sophisticated attacks [1]. Libraries are investing in cybersecurity infrastructure and staff training, though smaller institutions often lack the resources to respond effectively to evolving threats.

6. Web Accessibility Compliance

A federal mandate under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA requires public entities serving populations of more than 50,000 to achieve compliance by April 24, 2026 [1]. For libraries, this means auditing not only their own websites and mobile applications, but also the numerous vendor-provided digital platforms and databases they license. Given how dramatically libraries have expanded their digital footprints over the past decade, this compliance effort is both time-consuming and technically complex [1].

7. AI-Generated Content in Collections

AI-generated ebooks and audiobooks have become commonly discoverable in library digital collections, raising urgent questions about collection development standards, quality control, and disclosure to patrons [1]. Librarians are grappling with how to identify, catalog, and communicate the provenance of AI-generated content. This challenge touches on reader trust, information literacy, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

8. Collection Pressures and Supply Chain Disruption

Libraries face unusual supply-chain stress following the closure of Baker & Taylor, a major book distributor, which has disrupted the flow of print materials [1]. At the same time, the financial sustainability of digital collections—particularly ebook licensing models—continues to strain budgets. Growing patron interest in “library of things” collections, which lend gadgets, tools, games, and other non-traditional items, has added both cost and programmatic complexity. However, such collections align with the ALA’s newly articulated core value of sustainability [1].

9. Makerspaces and Creative Technology Spaces

Makerspaces have evolved from novelty into an established pillar of library service, offering patrons access to 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, audio and video production studios, electronics suites, and coding resources [7]. ALA Editions published a comprehensive guide to creative technology spaces in academic libraries in 2025, reflecting the depth of institutional commitment to these programs [8]. Library makerspaces distinguish themselves from department-based counterparts by being open to all students, faculty, staff, and often the general public [9], making them powerful vehicles for equity and lifelong learning.

10. AI Policy Development and Staff Training

Beyond deploying AI tools, libraries are in the thick of defining what responsible AI use looks like institutionally. The Public Library Association has formed a Transformative Technology Task Force to identify staff training priorities and develop AI-focused resources [1]. Writing clear, workable AI policies—covering everything from acceptable patron use of AI in research to staff deployment of AI in cataloging and reference—is expected to be one of the defining administrative tasks of 2026 [1].

11. Workforce Development and Community Programming

Libraries have deepened their role as workforce development hubs, offering co-working spaces, resume workshops, interview preparation, job-search technology training, and entrepreneurship programs [10]. Hybrid programming—offering events simultaneously in person and online—has become a permanent fixture at many libraries, expanding community reaches beyond physical walls and creating lasting digital archives of library programming [11].

12. Patron Privacy and Data Security

As libraries integrate more digital platforms, patron privacy concerns have intensified. Advocacy organizations have raised alarms about data brokers, government surveillance tools, and the use of powerful spyware by law enforcement [12]. Libraries have long championed patron confidentiality as a core professional value, and many are expanding privacy literacy programming and assessing the data practices of the vendors with whom they contract.

13. Emerging Technology in Library Systems

Academic and public libraries continue to explore technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT) for automation and asset management, artificial intelligence for personalized discovery, and augmented reality for immersive learning experiences [13]. Research underscores that scalable software architectures are essential for libraries to manage these innovations sustainably, particularly in resource-constrained environments in developing regions [13]. Vendor competition to offer the best AI-enhanced patron experience is intensifying, with implications for procurement decisions across library types [14].

14. Serving Aging and Diverse Populations

As the population ages, public libraries are expanding their programming, collections, and physical spaces tailored to seniors and retirees [10]. Simultaneously, libraries continue to strengthen services for immigrant and multilingual communities, incarcerated populations, and patrons with disabilities. New library design—illustrated by projects such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s flagship new Main Library—incorporates welcome and orientation centers for new residents, counseling services space, and technology assistance centers alongside traditional reading rooms [10].

15. Federal Advocacy and the Future of Library Funding

Perhaps the overarching theme of 2026 is the fragility of public investment in libraries. The ALA’s 150th anniversary year has coincided with an unprecedented mobilization of advocacy, as the association works to defend IMLS, push back against book ban legislation, and make the case for expanded federal funding in FY2027 [4]. The reality that 90% of library funding originates from local tax revenue means ballot-box victories are decisive, and philanthropic organizations are increasingly being called upon to support citizen-led advocacy campaigns that government-funded libraries are legally restricted from conducting [5].

Sources

  1. The Digital Librarian. (2026, February 3). Library tech trends for 2026. https://the-digital-librarian.com/2026/02/03/library-tech-trends-for-2026/

  2. American Library Association. (2025, April). ALA kicks off National Library Week with the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and the State of America’s Libraries Report. https://www.ala.org/news/2025/04/american-library-association-kicks-national-library-week-top-10-most-challenged-books

  3. American Library Association. (2026, February 26). ALA denounces federal book banning bill. https://www.ala.org/news/2026/02/ala-denounces-HR-7661

  4. American Library Association. (2026, April 9). ALA and AFSCME reach a settlement agreement with DOJ protecting IMLS. https://www.ala.org

  5. Candid. (2025, September 4). The funding crisis facing America’s public libraries. https://candid.org/blogs/todays-funding-crisis-facing-us-public-libraries/

  6. American Library Association / Public Library Association. (2024, July 9). New Public Library Technology Survey report details digital equity roles. https://www.ala.org/news/2024/07/new-public-library-technology-survey-report-details-digital-equity-roles

  7. Wikipedia. (2026). Library makerspace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_makerspace

  8. American Library Association. (2025, September 17). Media labs, makerspaces, and creative technology spaces in academic libraries. https://www.ala.org/news/2025/09/media-labs-makerspaces-and-creative-technology-spaces-academic-libraries

  9. Creative Library Practice. (2025, August 18). Creative library spaces: The future of the academic library makerspace. https://creativelibrarypractice.org/2025/08/18/creative-library-spaces/

  10. Clark Nexsen. (2024, July 8). How current and future trends are shaping the libraries of tomorrow. https://www.clarknexsen.com/how-current-and-future-trends-are-shaping-the-libraries-of-tomorrow/

  11. Computers in Libraries 2025 Program. Full program listing. https://computersinlibraries.infotoday.com/2025/Program.aspx

  12. ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. (2026, April 10). Intellectual Freedom News 4/10/2026. https://www.oif.ala.org/intellectual-freedom-news-4-10-2026/

  13. Eduindex. (2026, March 25). Emerging trends in academic library services: A perspective of library automation and management. https://eduindex.org/2026/03/25/emerging-trends-in-academic-library-services-a-perspective-of-library-automation-and-management/
  14. Breeding, M. (2026, March). Anticipating trends for 2026 and beyond. Computers in Libraries Magazine / Information Today. https://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/mar26/Breeding–Anticipating-Trends-for-2026-and-Beyond.shtml